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A. N. CONNETT, ELECTRIC RAILWAYOONDUIT SYSTEM,

No 537,630. Patented Apr. 16, 1895.

Witnesses:

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A. N. GONNETT-j ELECTRIC RAILWAY GONDUIT SYSTEM.

Patented Apr. 16,1895.

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llNiTED STATES PATENT ALBERT N. CONNETT, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

ELECTRIC-RAILWAY CONDU IT SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent NO. 537,680, dated April 16, 1895.

Application filed January 26, 1895. Serial No. 536,330- (No model.)

.To all whom it ntcty concern:

Beit known that I, ALBERT N. CONNETT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric-Railway Conduit Systems; andI do de-l clare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in electric railway conduit systems; and the object of my invention is to provide improved means for securing the insulated supports which sustain and carry the conductor-supports in the conduit and to readily gain access to and remove the insulator and its supports for the purpose of repairs, 850.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the opening to the man-hole and of the hand-holes opening into the chambers orseatssn pporting the insulator-brackets of the conductor within the conduit; and Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section through the conduit, and one of the insulators, the other insulator being shown in side view in the seat or chamber.

Referring to the drawings, A designates the conduit, which may be of any proper and suitable construction and which is provided with suitably formed and oppositely arranged slot-rails 1, 2, and supporting frames 3, the latter cast integral with the man-hole frames 3, formed with the interior flanges 4, to take supports.

and sustain engaging flanges on my improved The heads 5 and 6, of slot-rails 1 and 2, are preferably formed with downward webs 7, and laterally projected flanges 8, at the bottom, by which they may be suitably secured to the yokes or supporting mediums of the conduit frame or yoke. Resting on the laterally projected flanges S of the slotrails 1 and 2, are supporting frames 3, forming a chamber having interior flanges or sockets 4 to take and support, as stated, the exterior or annular flanges of the outer casing or housing of the conductor-supports. These conductor-supports consist of an outershell 8, formed with an annular or exterior flange 9, at their upper portion to set or rest on the flange 4, and having the shell extended downward, as at 10 projecting a distance through and below the bottom of the frame 3, substantially as shown, and having the lower end formed with an upward incline 1]., to prevent the drips of moisture from reaching or interfering with the insulatious.

B designates an interior non-conducting holder, made of an insulating material for the stem of the conductor support, cemented or otherwise secured in the outer case 8", and formed with an enlarged annular recess 12, at the lower portion, to avoid contact with the support or stem 13, to which the conductors are connected, and by which they are carried, substantially asshown in the drawings. The non-conducting holders, or insulators B, extend belowthe main shell 8', and have their lower edges tapered or beveled, as shown, to further protect the stem of the holder and insulator from being invaded by moisture which, by accident, may find access to the holder. In the insulator B is secured the stem 13, to which the conductors are secured and held. These stems 13 consist, preferably, of threaded-bolts, on which are secured the brackets 15, which carry the conductors 16, on which the trolley bears. The conductorbracket 15, and the conductors may be of any approved construction, as my invention may be used in connection with any suitablyarranged conductors adapted to be supported by the stems or their equivalents fixed in the supports.

It will be perceived that the shells 8 are detachably seated in the frames 3, formed to receive and hold them, and that by detaching the brackets 15, the holder may be lifted from their seats when repairs or adjustments are required. It will also be understood that any character or construction of conductors may be carried by the stem of the holder, the only requisite being that the conductor connected shall be provided with means to engage on the stem 13, or its equivalent; and further, it is apparent by means of the bottom inclined edges of the outer casing, the annular bottom tapering or inclined edges of insulating material, the access of moisture or other extraneous conducting material is prevented from reaching and having access to or contact with the holding-stem of the de- Vice. Thus is formed a series of drip-points insuring the perfect electrical insulation of the conducting medium.

A detachable or lifting cover 17 is placed over the chamber containing the holder, substantially as shown in the drawings.

I desire to be understood that a slight departure from the exact details of the construction as illustrated and described may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an electric railway conduit system, the combination with the slot-rail, of a frame formed with a chamber adjacent to said slotrail, a conductor-holding device, comprising an outer shell seated in the said chamber, an insulating-holder in the outer shell, and a conductor stem secured in the insulatingholder, substantially as shown and described.

2. In an electric railway conduit system, the combination with the slot-rail, of a frame adjacent to said slot-rail formed with a chamber, a conductor-holding device, comprising an outer shell detachably seated in the said chamber and having its lower edge formed with an upwardly incline, a holder of nonconducting material in the said casing and a stem in the insulator, adapted to sustain a conductor in the conduit, substantially as shown and described.

3. In an electric railway conduit system, the

combination with the frames, of opposite-arranged chambers therein, formed with interior flanges, and a conductor-supporting device comprising an outer shell formed with an exterior flange to take on the flange in the said chamber, and having its lower end edge beveled to carry the drips outward, an inner shell of non-conducting material secured in the outer shell and extending below the same and having its lower rim extended and enlarged interior-1y, to stand away from the stem which holds the conductor, and a stem in the insulator to supporta conductorin the conduit, substantially as shown and described.

4. In an electric railway conduit system, the combination with the slot-rail, of a frame formed with a chamber, a suitably arranged seat in said chamber, a conductor-supporting device resting on the seat, comprising an outer casing detaohably held therein, an insulatorshell in the casing having a beveled lower edge and an enlarged recess at its interior lower portion, and a conductor-supporting stem held in the insulator-shell, free from contact with its lower enlarged and beveled parts, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT N. CONNETT.

Witnesses:

A. O. BALENDREIER, WM. A. HEINDLE. 

